Back from the vet

monaxlisa

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Ruby went to the vet today for constipation, she was sedated (they were short on techs so my vet (who I love!) let me help (I work at a different vet clinic and he knows I'm considering tech school)) and my vet fixed her up super fast (won't go in to messy details).
She's sleeping upstairs now, he let me take her home to recover.
Her dental has been pushed back a week and she's been prescribed Enulose which is like a liquid fiber. Has anyone used this before? I did a little reading online and it seems to be safe and everything, I'm just worried that she won't drink enough.
I have three fountains and she seems a little freaked out by them all. He also shaved a few of her matts (she wont let me clip them and will be getting a shave when she's sedated for her dental) so she looks like she has mange or something
He called them "racing stripes" since he shaved the big matts on her sides and he also gave her a sanitary shave.
Anyhow, I'm pretty darn happy that Ruby should be able to go poo now (won't feel totally better until I actually find a deposit in the litter box) and thrilled that I have a vet that I trust who's so cool

I just had to share!
Oh, I was sort of complaining about how my animals are never all healthy at the same time, he actually said I have too many (in a joking way)
He said they're like kids, there's always something wrong with one of them.
 

denali

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How long has Ruby been constipated? Or is this her first episode?

My female cat had major constipation quite some time. Which has now progressed to Megacolon. Lactulose (Enulose is a brand of lactulose) stopped working for her. I belong to a group on Yahoo called Feline Megacolon which has a lot of members with constipated kitties. Many of them report the same thing - lactulose stopped working for their kitties??? Many of us use a stool softner called Miralax. On this forum Miralax has been a life saver for quite a few kitties. One being mine
She has been doing great on Miralax since she began taking it in January when my vet recommended it for her. She also needs to take a motility drug because her muscles do not work very well at pushing the stools out.

I just wanted to run this past you just in case one day the Enulose stops working for Ruby!!!

Also, what do you feed Ruby? Some milder cases of constipation seem to do well with added fibre (pumpkin). But on the yahoo group it seems that the adding of fibre has caused more problems for our kitties than good. I feed my cat a grain free, low fiber canned food. She does very well on the lower fibre. When I give her a higher fibre canned food she seems to have trouble passing the larger stools from the fibre.
 
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monaxlisa

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I really like your quotes in your signature!

This is Ruby's first bout with constipation. She's newly adopted from the humane society, I've had her about five weeks now. I think she's getting constipated because she's not drinking enough. My vet said she doesn't have megacolon, and that she didn't have too much that she needed to pass except the one big lump right at the back.
She won't touch pumpkin but hopefully this is just a one time thing that won't progess.
(knock on wood!)
 

otto

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Originally Posted by Denali

How long has Ruby been constipated? Or is this her first episode?

My female cat had major constipation quite some time. Which has now progressed to Megacolon. Lactulose (Enulose is a brand of lactulose) stopped working for her. I belong to a group on Yahoo called Feline Megacolon which has a lot of members with constipated kitties. Many of them report the same thing - lactulose stopped working for their kitties??? Many of us use a stool softner called Miralax. On this forum Miralax has been a life saver for quite a few kitties. One being mine
She has been doing great on Miralax since she began taking it in January when my vet recommended it for her. She also needs to take a motility drug because her muscles do not work very well at pushing the stools out.

I just wanted to run this past you just in case one day the Enulose stops working for Ruby!!!

Also, what do you feed Ruby? Some milder cases of constipation seem to do well with added fibre (pumpkin). But on the yahoo group it seems that the adding of fibre has caused more problems for our kitties than good. I feed my cat a grain free, low fiber canned food. She does very well on the lower fibre. When I give her a higher fibre canned food she seems to have trouble passing the larger stools from the fibre.
Hi there, I too have a lot of experience with megacolon and I agree with the earlier statement about lactulose. All laxatives lose their effectiveness over time and have to be continually increased.

Other comments about lactulose (enulose): be careful because it is very sticky. Make sure to wipe her face and ruff area very carefully with a warm damp cloth after each dose.

My poor little Ootay (rb 5/09) once got some stuck on her thick ruff. She was trying to wash it off, and her tongue stuck to her fur. I was so glad I was home, as she came running straight to me for help, with her mouth gaping open and her tongue pulled out and stuck to the fur under her neck. It was horrible.

Another thing to remember about laxatives is to give it on an empty stomach at least an hour before a meal. Laxatives interfere with nutrient absorption.

I also agree that adding fiber (bulk) for constipated cats backfires because the stools get so large, it only makes things worse. I had not heard of using miralax in cats before! That is very useful information. I know about it because one of the special needs girls I work with takes it.

I am also interested in your statement that your megacolon kitty is doing well on a grain free low fiber canned food. Would you tell me the brand?

I have a 3 year old cat having some occasional constipation problems. I want to try a diet change before anything more drastic and I've been trying to decide what food to try.

to Monaxlisa, please do keep us updated on ruby.
 

denali

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Other comments about lactulose (enulose): be careful because it is very sticky.
That is the great thing about Miralax....it is a tasteless, odourless powder. You add it into their canned food with a bit of added water and most of the times they have NO clue it is even in there. You also can buy it over the counter at a pharmacy (super cheap compared to the vets office). I have even heard that Walmart sells it on the shelves in the medication section. You can also mix it with water and syringe it into the cat with no sticky residue.


My poor little Ootay (rb 5/09) once got some stuck on her thick ruff. She was trying to wash it off, and her tongue stuck to her fur. I was so glad I was home, as she came running straight to me for help, with her mouth gaping open and her tongue pulled out and stuck to the fur under her neck. It was horrible.
Oh my
Poor kitty!!!

Another thing to remember about laxatives is to give it on an empty stomach at least an hour before a meal. Laxatives interfere with nutrient absorption.
I was told by my vet to give it in Lexus's canned food. That it was not a problem.


I also agree that adding fiber (bulk) for constipated cats backfires because the stools get so large, it only makes things worse. I had not heard of using miralax in cats before! That is very useful information.
It has saved many a cats from dying from constipation / Megacolon
Check out the files and messages for info on the Feline Megacolon group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_Megacolon/

I am also interested in your statement that your megacolon kitty is doing well on a grain free low fiber canned food. Would you tell me the brand?
I like to feed Wellness grain free (I try not to feed the fish flavours often), EVO 95% meat. I tried the Nature's Variety Instinct and her stools really bulked up. Just look for canned foods with no more than 1 to 1.5% MAX fibre content grainfree.


I have a 3 year old cat having some occasional constipation problems. I want to try a diet change before anything more drastic and I've been trying to decide what food to try.
Have you tried adding a bit of pumpkin into her food? Or slippery elm bark?
 

otto

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Originally Posted by Denali

I was told by my vet to give it in Lexus's canned food. That it was not a problem..................


have you tried adding a bit of pumpkin into her food? Or slippery elm bark?
Ootay had her mineral oil in a tiny amount of canned food, but at least an hour before her main meal. Laxatives interfere with nutrient absorption. If a laxative is only being used occasionally it is not really a problem, but when a cat is on a twice a day laxative regimen, it is very important to separate the laxative from the bulk of her meals.

I actually was planning to try the pumpkin until I read what you said about it, (in reference to the yahoo groups.) She's currently eating Wellness canned chicken (no grain) and Wellness indoor formula kibble. I tried taking her off the kibble and just feeding her the canned, but she began having more trouble almost immediately But the Indoor formula makes such large stools. Sigh.....

Jennie is due for her six month check up soon, and I'll be talking things over with my vet of course. I think she may be having trouble with her anal glands getting plugged up too. Vet checked them last time she was in and said all was well but.... I sure don't want her started on laxatives and such at only 3 years old.

Monaxlisa: sorry I hijacked your thread!
 

denali

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Thanks for the heads up about the nutrients. I will call my vet and ask her about this.

I also wanted to let you know the difference between Miralax and Lactulose:

Lactulose: Takes water from the entire body to soften the stool
whereas
Miralax: takes water from the intestine only to soften the stool. And it does not get into the body stream. It goes straight through the intestines and out the other end.

If your vet is not confident with using Miralax because many vets are not familar with using it for cats, I can give you a contact vet that deals with Megacolon cats and uses Miralax for his own cat. And your vet can give him a call for some guidance???
 
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